The Juvenescence Juxtapostion
by Dr Skywalker
Summary: When Sheldon's nephew ends up on his doorstep, the gang discovers a new set of problems they can't solve with math
1. Chapter 1

The Juvenescence Juxtapostion

By Dr Skywalker

Everyone had their breaking point and Missy Cooper - had reached hers. While she grew up with a person who other people considered weird and strange because of his high intellect, it was quite another thing raising a child like that. She had just put him to bed after a very difficult night. Her husband had taken off to god knows where, and with no money, no idea where he was and an incredibly difficult child to take care of, Missy lay in her bed eyes wide open with no idea what to do. Bills piled up. Rent money got harder and harder to come by, and hard decisions had to be made. Which bills could be paid and which ones couldn't? Some nights the lights had to be kept on in place of getting dinner on the table.

It wasn't that she particularly disliked her son, it was just that…he was creepy. He had an eerie way of staring at her, as if he were trying to figure her out. Hed been like that as a baby. It drove shivers up her spine. Even though she knew he was only a child, there were things about him that she knew he did because of his high intelligence but they were things no child should do or say. She wondered what it was like for her own mother when raising her brother. She thought about her meeting with Albert's teacher the week before.

"Little Albert is disruptive, and frankly Mrs. Thompson, and hes lazy." Mrs Martinez said sternly. "He dosent pay any attention, he belittles everything I say, and he encourages the other children to do so as well!"

"Its Cooper. Im divoresed."

"Oh…I had no idea." Mrs Martinez said "How long?"

"A few months. It …hasn't been easy on Albert." She said awkwardly. "Or … anyone." Bret just….took off one day. That was two years ago. I finally filed the paper work and got it taken care of."

"Well, that might at least explain Albert's fascination with traveling." Mrs Martinez said. "Last week, I caught him in the shop lab trying to make a GPS out of safety sissors and some alumnuim tin foil."

"Yeah I keep telling him that I don't think his daddys coming back, but he seems determined to find him."

"Albert is a very special child, but hes … well…." Mrs Martinez said akwardly.

Missy sighed. Shed heard this speech before. "The problem with Albert, is well, he …he dosent belong here. We just don't have the capabilties to deal with a special needs child like him, and I think its best he be placed in a class…" She paused uncomfortably. "More suited to his…needs." Missy knew exactly what Mrs Martinez was saying to her. "This is a brochure for the Roosevelt School for Children." She handed Missy the brochure with a bright sunrise behind what looked like a university except there children Albert's age coming out of it. All the children looked bright and happy. She flipped to the cost break down and her stomach dropped.

Mrs Martinez looked sadly at Missy, and placed a hand on hers. "There are options for him…he could apply for grants from the state or maybe you could get him a scholariship if he really wanted to knuckle down." She sighed heavily. "Im afraid I cant keep Albert in my class Ms Cooper. The other kids need to focus and study, and its hard enough having a child like Albert in our class."

Missy kept going over the conversation over and over. It all seemed impossible for him. She knew Albert didn't want to hurt or bother anybody, and he was just being who he was, but that was the entire problem. No one wanted him to be who he was.

Little Albert was bright to the point of genius no one was denying that, but he was also so easily distracted. Shed sat with his teachers who marveled at his aptitude for reading and comprehension, but also all agreed he belonged in a school for gifted children. These schools were thousands of dollars in tuition and Missy was a broke hostess whos husband took off. She sighed heavily. The pile of bills sitting on her desk werent going away, and neither were the constant calls about them.

"I think the television is broken mom." Albert said one day. He crawled out from the back of it figiting with the wires with his little tounge sticking out trying to figure out what the problem was.

"Al, get out from there, you'll hurt yourself!" Missy barked. She knew very well why it wasn't working, and was in no mood to explain to her toddler son she couldn't afford to pay for the science network right now.

"But I think I can fix it…" He insisted

"No. You cant." She said coldly, and grabbed him from out of the back of the TV, pulling him roughly.

He looked at her sadly. "Sorry mom." He said in a small voice.

Being overwhelmed and out of money was hard enough. "Just go play Albert." She said not looking at him.

Albert sat in his room sadly. He looked at his stuffed giraffe. "Youre right, I bet you we can help her." He jumped off his bed and scurried into his closet tossing nick knacks about. He pulled out his chemistry set his Uncle got him for Christmas last year.

"All we have to do is invent a serum that will make Mom happy again." He pulled out a large heavy chemistry book hed gotten from the library, and flipped through the pages to find something that might seem to work.

"Hmmm…." He stuck a crayon behind his ear. "Says here The most important classes of antidepressants are the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants and monoamine oxidase inhibitors." He read. "Maybe I should try to mix them all together."

He pulled the crayon and began scribing chemical compounds on his construction paper.


	2. Chapter 2

After a while, Missy had no choice but to place Albert in public school in the next district over. The classes were over crowed and it was in the lowest income neighborhood. Hardened kids glowered at him menacingly as they passed through metal detectetors were armed security guards patted them down. In between classes larger students shoved him and picked on him he was the youngest kid in the entire school by five years, and scrawny, pale and something of a loner, it made him feel like a piece of meat in a piranha tank. He begged his mother for karate lessons, but they couldn't afford them.

The teacher drowned on and on about he state exam based on a set state circcumlum given by the government. This meant the teachers had to adhere to this test and teach to it, forcing otherwise bright children to mindlessly parrot back information they never understood nor cared about. They read abridged history books that showed pictures of humans and dinosaurs, and that ended just before Vietnam. Being in a poor district meant there wasn't enough state allocated funds for things like proper computers or books, but that they were still forced to take the same tests that other children were better prepared for. It was all pointless information in Alberts opinion, none of this was important or in any way interesting to him.

Albert began to grow quiet day after day, and even more introverted than he already was. IN his head he invented flying machines that he could use to break out of school, and he scribbled complicated formulas to give to the other students so that that would be nice to him. His thoughts started slowly turning dark, and every day he grew more and more angry with everyone around him. A cold dark festering hatred began to simmer within him, when the tougher students gave him the evil eye, he gave it right back.

That day, Albert sat miserably at his desk, tapping his pencil and longingly looking out the window. He knew the teacher at the font of the class was jabbering on about something he didn't care about.

"Mr Cooper Are you paying attention?" His new teacher snapped.

Albert jumped back from a wonderful daydream about flying a rocketship in space abruptly.

"What year did Columbus discover America?" His teacher hissed at him

"He didn't discover America, Norse Explorer Leif Ericson crossed the Atlantic first and hit the shores of Newfoundland around AD 1000. Other historians theorize that Welsh and Irish sailors, or even the ancient Hebrews, preceded Ericson in North America by hundreds of years." He said matter-of-factly

His teacher swelled in anger. "How many times have I told you to stick to the text book Albert!?"

"Including this time? 37. But I disagree with you. Honestly – how can you possibly hope to actually teach us if youre information is incorrect?" He had an air of haughty elitism and arrogance, a side effect of knowing he was absolutely right.

"Answer the question correctly!"

"The text book is wrong. Its completely out of date!" Albert said angrily as well

"Albert Im warning you…."

"NO! This is ridiculus! Look around at this lifeless vacant expressions!" He flung his arm out. "No one is listening to a word youre saying because what yorue saying is idioctic and archatic! We have more information on our phones that you have in this entire school library if you can even call it that!" He barked.

"Young man! Ive had enough of your sass! Go to the Princibles office!"

Albert was on his feet. "NO! You cant tell me what to do! This is insane!"

His teacher pushed the response button. "Security!"

"Were not going to take this!" Albert tried to egg the rest of the class on but they simply looked at his like he was insane. He realized he was the only person stading up, no one else seemed to care, or want to do anything about it.

A surly security guard grabbed him roughly and yanked him to the princablaps office. "C'mon you."

"Let me go let me go!"

"I said move it" The security guard grabbed him agressivly by the collar and dragged him of the room, thrashing about to get away.


	3. Chapter 3

Missy was about to go out to an interview and a soft warm hope ignighted within her. Things were going to get better. She stood up straighter today, and her confedeince was palpable. Then the phone rang.

"Hello?" Missy Cooper answered the phone hoping it wasn't anther bill collection service.

It was worse. Albert's school. Again.

"What did he do this time?" She asked sighing heavily. She worried how much this would cost her this time.

"He did what?!" Missy yelped. "No please…Ill Ill be right down." She sat down defeated, and dialed the number of the office she was supposed to interview with. "Yes, Hi – this is Missy Cooper. Im afraid Im going to have to reschedule I –" Her lip trembled, and her voice quivered. 'No…no I understand youll have to offer it to someone else. Its just my son hes – yes…I understand. Yes thank you." She hung up with a heavier weight around her shoulders than before. "Well keep your information on file" is a euphemism for you didn't get the job. She grabbed her keys.

When Missy got to the school, Albert sat outside the principle's office with a deep fowl frown on his face, his arms folded. He threw his mother a horrible hateful look that broke her heart. A child that age should never have that look on his face.

She sat down beside him. "What happened?"

"You know what happened, the school you two hours ago. Apparently Im some sort of delinquent. They want to expel me because I am smarter than everyone in this building, and Im being suffocated by the plastic bag of idioticy and mediocrity." He looked at the wall. "And worst of all - it was you who put me here. My own mother."

Missy swallowed hard. "Honey….please understand. I know youre smart, and Im proud of you its just…." She finished lamely. How could she possibility explain to him that the real reason they were in this mess is because she screwed up her life and wasn't ready to have a baby seven years ago.

"Why do you hate me?" He looked up at his mother with a withering cold deadened feeling. He got to his feet and walked down the hall without a backward glance.

"Albert – honey" She began to go after him.

"Ms Cooper? The principle will see you now." The administer said.

"What – oh oh yeah." He gave her son one sad glance before entering the office.

Missy sat in the princables office which resembled more of the wardens office from Shawshank Redememtion than anything else.

Mr Prince was a large burly man with hairy knuckels and slicked back hair.

"Ms Cooper, we have had your son in our school for a little over two months and in that time he has caused three brawls in our hallways, almost burned down the science lab, tried to hack into a government server, vandalized the walls with his equations, thrown out what he calls out of date text books, and litters out halls with his" He held up bunny ear fingers 'Inventions' "and today, he had to be escorted form class by security because he refused to answer a question and tried to insight a riot."

"Im very sorry hes …hes just going through a rough patch."

"A rough patch?! With all due respect Ms Cooper I have had gun wielding psychopath kids in my halls, Ive had kids with knives, kids whose parents are crack whores, kids with real psycho problems, but youre son is the one I have to really worry about!"

"Hes really a sweet kid, he just… hes sort of… ya know… different."

"Ill say." Mr Prince snorted.

"Please don't expel him, I cant put him in another school again. Ill get him to behave I promise!"

"Im sorry Ms Cooper. We should have never took him in the first place. Hes at least five years younger than anyone in his class, and Ill admit the boy is very intelligent, he needs a special school designed for specail kids like him."

"Look, I just cant afford something like that…please don't make him suffer through another move to another school."

"Im sorry Ms Cooper, that's my final word." He unfolded his hands and flipped his chair around to look out the window.

Missy shuffled out into the hall. Now what she going to do?


	4. Chapter 4

When they got on the public bus home, Missy had just finsihed reading him the riot act. Hed cried and carried on, yelled and shrieked with frustration.

"Uncle Sheldon thinks it's a good thing Im smart! Hes the only one who cares about me!" He demanded

"Albert I do care about you! Honey I love you!" Missy pleaded with him, her eyes darted about at he accusatory looks from the other bus patrons.

"Uncle Sheldon says if youre smart you should it!" He yelled back at her

"You do show it! That's the problem! You cant go insighting uprisings wherever you go because you don't like school! You know youre smarter than that!"

"If that's true - Then why cant I go to a good school?! Why are you such a bit…" He stopped himself when he saw the line hed crossed and his mothers face as she swelled with rage. She grabbed him hard.

"Boy! Youre getting on my last nerve now sit down and be quiet!"

Albert sat next to his mother looking miserable and angry, every so often sniffling and wiping his damp face with the back of his hand. Missy had to remind herself that he was only seven and as intelligent as he was there were things he couldn't understand.

"You are going to go home, and youre gunna sit in time out until you realize what you've done!"

"WHAT?! WHY?" He barked outraged

"Because you had to be bodily removed from the classroom because you pitched a fit! And because you just caused a rukus like Ive never seen before!" She growled low and menacingly at him threw her teeth, making it appoint to keep her voice down to a low registser.

"This is like not letting me run in a race when you know Im the fastest." He glared at his mother.

"Dosent matter how fast ya are. Since you don't know how to behave youre going to have to go to school down in Willacy. Congratluations! You've officially been kicked out of every English speaking school district in Texas! Have fun dealin' with those Mexican kids on the border cause that's what you've gotten yerself into! The poorest area there is! We have to move! AGAIN!"

Albert's eyes welled with tears and he fell silent.

"This isn't fair." He muttered.

"Yeah? Well life's not fair get used to it." She spat, instantly regretting it.

When they got home he went straight to his room without a word, slamming the door.

Missy flopped on the couch, exhausted and overwhelmed as ever. She felt terrible for yelling at him, and she felt even worse about the fact that her son was so miserable and alone in the world.


	5. Chapter 5

Albert lay upon his bed one unlaced sneakered foot dangling off the side, the other propped up. Abscent mindedly solving, shuffling and resolving his rubicks cube, trying not to think about how horrible the schools he would have to go to would be. He looked at his meger bookshelf with books hed read and re-read dozens of times, his games and puzzles were stacked in the corner next to his hamper and his stuffed giraffe draped over the side of his chair. "Youre my only friend." He said miserably. He sighed heavily and heard his mothers voice.

"Honestly mama, I don't know how you did it with three of us in the house. I cant handle one. Im at my wits end I tell ya." She said on the phone

Albert slid off his Superman bedspread to listen closer.

"I mean…" She said exhasperated. "I just cant take this…" She held the phone over her shoulder, picking up stray toy rocketships, and books. "yah but at least Sheldon wasn't a rabble rouser. He was at least well behaved."

"Darlin' you were too young to remember but your brother caused me many a sleepless night, mark my words" Mrs Cooper said on the other line

"I don't know what to do…" She said hopelessly. Missy sat and ran her hand through her hair . "We have to move. Again! I mean god! Whats wrong with that kid anyways? I didn't party, I didn't smoke or drink! How'd he turn out so…so….different?"

Albert crept down the hall to listen.

"Hes angry all the time, he never talks to anyone, hes causes problem everywhere he goes." She said venting.

"Honey - Ill tell you what to do - you love that boy. Hes your son." Mrs Cooper said softly

"I don't know if I can handle this…"

"The lord never gives us anything we cant handle darlin'" Mrs Cooper said sagely. "Do you have any idea what your brother put me and yer dad through the time he almost caused a nuclear meltdown in the shed? I still phone calls from the government about his shenangans!"

Missy snorted. "Its just that…everything is so….diffucult." She said.

Shaking his head he crawled back to his room, and flopped on his back. He knew he shouldn't have lost his temper with his mother. Being a kid that was different was hard enough without knowing his own mother felt that way about him. There was only one other person on the planet who understood what that felt like and he was on the other side of the country.

Sheldon frowned. Hed devoted his twenty minute 2:45 break to after school talks with Albert since the day he found out the boy was a genius. Today, however he hadn't answered. The little scamp must have gotten into trouble again. Sheldon was very fond of the lad and had a soft spot for him like no other in his life. He tried to encourage his intelletualism every chance he got, speding him chemistry sets and books and emailing links to things hed thought would spark the boys interest.

It was one of the things that helped Sheldon grow as a person, indeed his ability to be affectionate was never so strong as it was when Sheldon was around his nephew, his eyes lit up when he thought about him .and with the exception of Amy and his Meemaw, no other person on the planet could make Sheldon smile like that. He also rather liked the hero worship his nephew had bestowed upon him, and the adulation he got whenever he spoke to the kid.

"You okay?" Leonard asked from across the lunch table.

"Hes not responding."

"That cant be good. I betchya hes in trouble again." Leonard said fondly as well. He too liked Albert's no nonscence personality and quirks. He also found his relationship with his uncle very sweet and it always made him smile to see the way Sheldon's face got when he got to see his nephew.

"Id better call Missy." He said worried. But his phone rang first.

"Hi Uncle Sheldon." Said the tiny voice.

"Hey Buddy. Is everything alright?" There was a twang on concern in Sheldon's voice.

"Yeah…Im fine…listen I have a question…ummm…..how many miles is it from Texas to California?"

"You know very well what my answer's going to be. Look it up and find out!"

"But The internet got cut off again."

"Then look it up in the library the old fashioned way."

"You mean analog?"

"Yes."

"I cant, the libraries closed, and I have to get this done."

"Oh Very well. From where to where?" Sheldon audibly sighed.

"Lets say from Willacy to ….. LAX for example."

Sheldons eyes lifted doing a quick calculation. "1,603 miles."

"Thanks! Gotta go." He hung up

Sheldon looked at the phone with a frown and shrugged. He must be busy with some kind of project hes working on for school Sheldon assumed.


	6. Chapter 6

Despite Sheldon's rating and raving about it, and after days and days of trying to convince them otherwise, Leonard and Penny had managed to move in together across the hall, while as much as he tried to fight it, Amy had moved in with him. He hated it of course, but realized it wasn't really a decision he could deny. As Leonard pointed out to him, change was not nessissaliy bad, and as such, it had to come to be something he actually rather secretly, enjoyed. While his aversion to the transistion ebbed in time, it still erked him to no end when ever someone sat in his spot.

The domesticity of Sheldon Cooper was something Amy worked hard at, while hed made no real plans at marriage with her, he did however reluctantly, admit his true feelings for her finally.

Still, he found he liked his life with Amy such as it was. Their relationship had reached a point that he was happy with, as his physicality towards her was almost gone. After all, theyd been living together for four years and been together for going on nine.

That afternoon, Sheldon sat in his spot in comfort, reading a comic book. Amy was in the kitchen making tea, when his phone chimmed.

"Hello?"

"Hi ya Uncle Sheldon…I have another question…how far is your house from say… LAX?"

"23 miles, fifteen feet 18.7375 inches." Sheldon answered quickly. "What kind of project are you working on anyway?"

"Uhh…it's a navigational app Im making…"

"Oh. Neat. Can I help?"

"Uh…No that's okay. Gotta go."

Amy looked over her shoulder. "Was that Albert?"

"Yes. Hes been acting peculiar today I must say." Sheldon said with a troubled look.

Again Sheldon shrugged and continued to read. "Must be hopped on sugar or something."

An couple hours later his phone chimmed again. 'Uncle Sheldon…how much do you think a cab should charge form your house to the airport?"

He tuck out his bottom lip and cocked his head. "Shoudn't be anymore than forty dollars…" Sheldon paused "Wait - Why?"

"No reason." Click

Sheldon looked confused. When his phone rang again a half hour later .

"What floor do you live on again?"

"The forth…Albert whats going on?" Sheldon said.

Then the door knocked.

Sheldon's stared at the scrawny little boy on his threshold.

"HI Uncle Sheldon." He hugged his Uncle around the middle. "Wh-what are you doing here?" He was so small he barley came up to Sheldon's waist.

"Ive come to stay with you." He smiled up at his Uncle happily

"Wha-What?" Sheldon yelped. "Where your mom?!"

"What?" Sheldon gaped at the boy. 'How on earth did you get here?" Amy's mouth hung open.

"I flew here." He said simply

"Yes - but how!?"

"I simply went to the Apple store, used one of their computers on display, booked a ticket using the same algorisms they use for those price deals you see on TV. The people in the airport security are morons, I just told them I was Justin Bevier's cousin and they bumped me up to first class. They didn't even ask me for ID…so much for national security" He said rolling his eyes as if it were a ridiculous anticdote. He held up a 'unaccompanied minor' tag theyd given him.

'You-You stole a ticket and lied to airport security?! " Sheldon stammered eyes wide. The looked out the windows fearfully. "Theyre gunna send drones to bring us to Guantanamo bay!"

"Friedrich Nietzsche says you shouldn't let the morals of those beneath you keep you down." Albert said folding his arms defiant. "Its not my fault they were dumb enough to fall for it."

"You broke the law!?"

"A law of lesser minds…"

Sheldon's words were coming back to bite him. Hed said that very thing to Albert when he was a little boy. He forgot the lad soaked up every word he said like a sponge and took it all to heart as gospel. Amy gave him her best "I told you so" face.

"Oh yeah – and I need forty six dollars." He held out his hand expectantly.

"What? Why?" Sheldon winced. "You need it for the cab that's downstairs don't you."

"You said-"

"I know what I said!" Sheldon grumbled taking down his green lantern bust and sifening out a fifty.

"Here." He gave it to Amy, who rolled her eyes and trotted down the steps. Sheldon looked at his nephew sternly. "Naviagtion app huh?"

Albert looked at his shoes. "Well you would have said no if Id told the truth…."

"Of course I would have!" Sheldon bent down on his knees to face the boy properly in the eye. "You could have been hurt, someone could have kidnapped you! Your mom would …." Sheldon stopped. "Missy dosent even know youre here!" He said. "Albert, this is a deep violation of the Uncle – Nephew agreement." He said folding his arms trying his best to look stern. "You ran away from home, your stole, and you lied! And your moms probably worried to death!"

Albert scowled. "She dosent even care about me."

"What? Why on earth would you think that?" He made for the phone but Albert leapt in fornt of him.

"NO! Please don't call her Uncle Sheldon! Please." He was fearful and began to fret. "I cant….I cant go back there…"

Amy had come back up and closed the door behind here, handing back the four dollars change to Sheldon.

"Whats the matter?"

"He wont let me call Missy to let her know hes alrght."

"Why?"

Alberts eyes began to fill with tears, and he ran to Amy sobbing. She held him tight and softly at the same time.

"Albert, honey tell us whats wrong." She looked up at Sheldon assuming the worst possible senario.

His little shoulders shook as he tried to get a hold of himself, and looked up at Sheldon with his huge wet blue eyes.

Sheldon knelt down quietly giving Amy the same mental projection of what could possibly make a seven year old run all the way to California.

"Albert…." He asked slowly. "Did anyone hurt you…or…or…"

Albert burst into tears again and threw his arms around his Uncles neck. "She…She made me go to public school…"

Sheldon looked at Amy with a crying child over his shoulder in bewilderment. The it dawned on him what the boy had said to him, and comphrehension turned to empathy and he held the boy tight.

Sheldon looked again at Amy for what to do. Even though he was well aware of Missys finacail situation hed never dreamed it was this bad. The thought of public school in the worst and poorest district in the state sent shivers down his spine. He couldn t think of a worse hell than being stuck in a place like that, and then he realized why hed seen the visable change in his nephew in the last few months, why hed lost weight, why he frowned more and why he seemed so introverted.

"Its gunna be okay buddy….well get through this together…" Sheldon said softly to him.

"Now tell me what happened."

"They…They made me tell them that Columbus discovered America…"

Sheldon gasped . "NO!"

"They…they made tell them that Pluto's a planet…"

"But that's not correct!" Amy and Sheldon looked at each other.

"This is an ourtrage!" Sheldon yelped. "I should call child protection services!" He shook his fist in the air and paced about frantic. "I cant belive my own sister would deny this boy an education worthy of him!"

"Sheldon, calm down. We haven't heard Missy's side yet…" She offered, handing him coca. Sheldon sat in his spot quieting down, but brow still furrowed. Albert said beside him trying to calm down, his face still damp. His little feet dangled off the top of the coushions.

"Albert why don't go in Leonard's old room and relax. "Your Uncle and I need to talk this over."

Nodding silently, and sniffing, he slid off the couch and scurried into the other bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

There is no worse feeling, no fear no pain and no experience that is worse than the thought of loosing a child. Missy noticed it was unusually quiet in Alberts room, usually he was working on something or playing so she could hear him, but now it was dead silent. She opened the door a crack, and saw he was curled up in the covers. She felt horrible for how everything had happened, and made a silent vow to herself to set things right. He deserved better than the life she was giving him.

Sitting beside the bed, she sighed. "Albert, Im sorry I yelled at you. I know youre not happy about it, but it will only be for a little while until I get back on my feet again you know. Are you hungry? You didn't eat anything and…." She frowned, the blanket was too soft to the touch to have a child underneath even as small as Albert was. She pulled abck the blanket and her heart dropped in to her shoes. "ALBERT!" She dashed about the room, and their tiny apartment but he was no where. The window was open and his backpack and some books were gone. "Oh My God! Oh my god!" She grabbed the phone. "Hello? 911? My baby's ran away! hes only seven years old….no I will not hold! … Hello? Hello?" She was frantic.

Sheldon began to pace about. "We-Were harbering a criminal! What are we gunna do?"

"Ok, Sheldon….Calm down." Amy knew she had to speak in a soothing tone to Sheldon at moments like this he was apt to fret and overreact. She had grown adept at calming him with a simple hand to his forearm as a gesture. "Remember the breathing exersizes we did…." She said. Slowly, he sat in his spot and tried to gather himself.

"We should call the authoriteis."

"Sheldon, Child Protection Sevrices don't look in to kids whos only problem is going to public school. You went to public school and you turned out fine!" Amy pointed out.

"Yes and it was the worst five years of my life!" Sheldon spat.

"Ok lets figure this out. First things first. Call yor sister and let her knows hes alright."

Nodding, he reached for the phone. But before he could dial, it rang. Taken a back, he answered without thinking.

"Hello?"

Missy was hysterical. "Sheldon?! Have yu heard form Albert!?" She croaked. "Hes gone! We had a terrible fight, and I came in his room to give him his supper and … and… the window was open, and…."

Sheldon drew himself up to his full height. "Fancy you should mention him…" He said in his best holier than thou attitude.

"I just spoke to him as a matter of fact."

"Oh thank God! Is he alright did he say where he is?! I called his phone a million times but hes not answering I have the po-lice looking for him everywhere!"

"Hes fine. Hes here."

"Hes what?!"

"Seems your son decided to take a joyride on an airplane and visit his Uncle Sheldon." He said, his voice began to rise. "He said…." Sheldon closed his eyes at the horror of what he was about utter. "He said you put him in…public school." Sheldon gritted his teeth.

"No!" She said defensive. "Correction, I tried to keep him in public school until he pitched a pitch ad got himself expelled." Missy said knowing full well how Sheldon felt abut the entire public education system, but she didn't care, all she wanted to know was if her son was fine.

"EX-Expelled!?" Sheldon paled. "You –You mean to tell me hes not attending school at all?!" He couldn't imagine a life with NO education let alone the disgraceful one he was being given.

Missy wiped her tears. "Not until I can find a school that will take him. " She put a hand over her heart to calm its pounding. "Can I speak to him? I need to know hes okay…"

"Missy I must say I cant believe you've let him down like this! He deserves better than this!" He said indignatly.

"Sheldon put my son on the phone right now!" She had a distinct air of their mother, and out of pure instinct, Sheldon bowed his head. "Yes Ma'am."

"Albert?" He called . "Your moms on the phone, she wants to speak with you."

Albert came out huffy. "You dropped a dime on me?!"

"She called here…looking for you! Shes worried sick! Now speak to your mother." Sheldon said trusting the phone at him.

Grumpily Albert took the phone and put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"ALBERT JAMES COOPER YOU GET YOUR BEHIND BACK TO TEXAS RIGHT NOW! I WAS WORRIED TO DEATH! YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE YOUG MAN!" Wincing, Albert yanked the phone from his ear while his poor worried mother screeched and barked on the other end.

"NO! I don't wanna go home! I cant take it anymore!" He barked back. "You cant force me!" He said "Ill never go back"

"Albert you get your Uncle to put you on a plane first thing in the morning!"

"That's not fair! I just got here!"

Sheldon took the phone back. "Let me handle this." He said calmly. "Missy, the boy clearly is upset." Albert folded his arms angrily

Amy placed a soft hand on his shoulder, and felt his little neck untense.

"Sheldon! Hes run away from home, he need to come home! NOW!"

"May I suggest another alternative to this problem." He said

"Im listening." She said on the reciver

"Why dosent he stay here with us until you can figure things out...It seems the route of this particular problem is the fact that you cant afford the school he really belongs in, youre horribly in debt and are flat stinking broke - am I correct?"

Albert perked up at this conversation.

"Well … yeah…" Missy said wondering where he was going with this

"Well Amy and I do work in a university, and theres no better education he would receive than the one I would give him. Ill have him enrolled in classes, and he can attend as he wants. I assure you Ill act in his best intresets."

"Oh man! You mean it? I can go to Caltech?" Albert asked excitedly Amy looked at Sheldon and stared shed never dreamed he'sd suggest such a thing.

"Sheldon…" Missy was stunned at the offer. "That…that would be amazing. He would love that!"

"Ill wire you some money for you to pay off some bills, send you weekly reports of his progress, and act in loco parentus on his behalf." He said simply.

Missy's eyes were now full of tears for a different reason. "Sheldon, I know you and I never really talk much, but I …. I cant tell you how much this means to me…" She said softly. "I love you Sheldon. Thank You So Much."

"yes yes I love you too." He said rolling his eyes.

"Let me talk to him again."

"Ya hear that mom? Im goin to Caltech! This is so awesome!" Instantly, she ehard the voice of her sweet wide eyed son from a few months ago. The anger and fear shed felt just a few minutes ago had evaporated.

"Honey I want to be extra good for Uncle Sheldon and Aunt Amy okay….NO Mischief!" She said relief flooding through her whole body.

"I will – well, Ill try." He corrected himself.

"Remember your manners. Ill send some of your clothes and things there. Okay?"

"Thanks Mom." He said smiling for the first time in a long time. He paused and looked down. Amy noticed he looked exactly like Sheldon did when he knew hed been naughty.

"IM sorry about today. " He said. "Im sorry you felt bad and didn't get that job." His little voice sounded so earnest Missy melted. "Its okay baby. None of it is your fault, you just remembe to mind your Uncle Shelly alright?"

"Yes ma'am." He said solemly "I love you mom. Good night."

"Goodnight darlin'"She said sighing with a lightness she hadent felt in months. "Put your Uncle on the phone again." He handed the phone back to Sheldon. "Oh boy OH Boy OH Boy!"

"Uh...Sheldon..." Amy began. He held up his index finger to her.

"Shelly, I cant tell you what this means to me…" She said sniffing.

"I know." Sheldon. "Give my best to mom and George. I gotta go. Ill call you tomorrow." He looked at Amy who gave him a very stern expression.

"I will. Talk to you then" She hung up and smiled softly. Even thought her heart ached with the sound of thumping Chuck Taylors on the linoleum floor, or the sound of tapping hammers, or the tiny squeak of his laugh, she knew in her soul this was the right thing to do. Chuckling to herself, she thought about how Sheldon had changed over the years, and how much of an impact Albert had on Sheldon's life. Her brother was softer now, more gentile and approachable. He hugged more and always had a bright twinkle in his eye. She looked at an old photograph of Sheldon as a little boy, and LAbert was the spitting image of him save for the hair and build. He had his daddys build, where ever he was.


End file.
